The Bereaved
by Silvereyes12
Summary: Twenty two years ago, Jennifer and Emily met, in the aftermath of their separate tragedies. JJ/Emily friendship fic.


**The Bereaved**

_Summary: Twenty two years ago, Emily and Jennifer met for the first time, each in the aftermath of their own separate tragedies._

_Spoilers: 2.09 The Last Word, 2.10 Lessons Learned, 4.17 Demonology, and 5.13 Risky Business._

_Ratings: T_

_Warnings: None, no f-slash, just friendship fic. _

_A/N: This popped into my head randomly, and I wanted to get it out of my head before I forgot, so here it is, my loves. Enjoy!_

It's been two days since she fled Rome. It's also been four days after her abortion. It's been three days since she's last seen Matthew, and the last she did see of him, he was angry and confused. But not at her, so she presumed, but at the church, but it was because of her. Her _procedure_ had left him with a crisis of faith, and she understood his confusion and anger. The church had abandoned her for _this_, and if she knew Matthew, he would never forget it.

So she went home, sore and exhausted, before her mother announced she had a dinner summons she had to take in Pennsylvania, right outside a small town, called East Allegheny, and if she'd like to come. And of course, she had said yes, anything to get her out of this city. A five hour flight later, she was staring at the smallest town she'd ever seen. There was basically nothing, a bar here or there, a school, an arena… the typical football town. She did, however, take note of the soccer field right next to it, though and the figures that were currently running back and forth on the green field.

So that's how she got here, sitting quietly on a stone bench, staring at the headstones of the cemetery surrounding her. She had quickly realized this was the quietest place in town, and she took refuge in it, among the headstones and trees. She stared unseeingly at the tombstone to her right.

_Jackie Jareau_

_September 25, 1971 – November 13, 1985_

_Beloved daughter, sister and friend._

"_The hardest thing to do in this world is to live in it."_

She blinked, staring at the last date. November 13th was just four days ago. She was still lost in thought… four days ago she'd killed the child growing in her, and four days ago this family lost their own daughter.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the little blonde girl who'd come up behind her and timidly tap on her shoulder, making her flinch and spin around.

The girl looked so sad, her blue eyes dull and bloodshot, her shoulders deflated. She wondered if she looked any better than her.

"Who are you here for?" The girl asked, her voice tiny, her sky blue eyes already rimmed with tears. The brunette looked towards the heavens, and answered, just as quietly, "The child I never had."

Hesitating slightly, the eleven year old paused, considering the teenager's words, then extended her hand, "Jennifer." The brunette recoiled slightly… _Jackie Jareau…_ "Emily." She shot a small smile towards the obviously devastated child, which, as she had hope, let her relax enough to join her on the small bench.

And the tiny blonde did join her on the bench, sitting a few inches from her. Emily looked down at her, her own black-brown eyes softening as JJ swung her head around the look at the fresh grave, her blue eyes once again filling. Both girls were lost in their own thoughts before JJ broke the silence surrounding them.

"I never saw it coming."

Emily smiled bitterly, "I didn't either."

JJ looked up towards the dark fathomless eyes of her companion, "What happened to you, Emily?", with the childlike innocence of someone who hasn't seen too much yet. Emily sighed, running a hand through her thick, black hair.

"I was in Rome, and I got pregnant." Looking down into JJ's shocked eyes, she murmured, "I wasn't expecting it either. But," she elaborated, "my mother is a very well-known politician, and having a pregnant daughter wouldn't do any good for her reputation… so I didn't have a choice." She didn't particularly care to elucidate further, but the blonde seemed to understand.

JJ twisted around in her seat to look that the headstone again. When she spoke, Emily noticed the heaviness in her voice, the way she spoke didn't seem like a child's speech, but the speech of a much older person.

"My sister committed suicide," JJ whispered, before the tears overwhelmed her. Emily stared at her for a second, not quite sure what to do to comfort a crying eleven year old.

_Oh… what the hell._

She pulled the younger child into a light embrace, before JJ cried even harder into her black-clad shoulder.

So that's how Elizabeth Prentiss and Diane Jareau found their children later that evening, with the fifteen-year old cradling the younger blonde in her lap, who was sleeping, tear tracks still glistening on her flawless face.

Emily Prentiss stood, carrying the girl (she wasn't that heavy) back to her mother, but when she tried to give her back, JJ whimpered and held on to the teenager. Emily looked up at Diane Jareau, shrugging helplessly, before she turned and walked towards the Jareau residence. Her mother stared at her, both furious and curious, before she followed.

Emily laid the sleeping JJ down on her bed, tucking her in, and brushing a kiss over her forehead. And here she wondered what her own child might've looked like, if she would have been this motherly in the first few months.

_Jennifer,_

_It was really great meeting you, although it would have been better if not under these circumstances. Don't blame yourself for what happened, JJ, because you couldn't have prevented it. Good luck, and I wish you the best in life._

_Emily._

That's the note Jennifer Jareau woke up to the next morning, and a small smile touched her lips as she looked out the window towards the sky, hoping that her sister was very happy wherever she was right now.

Twenty two years later, when Supervisory Special Agent Jareau was told to brief the newest agent, she wasn't expecting to see Supervisory Special Agent Prentiss. And twenty two years later, she hadn't forgotten what the then-teenager had done for her that fateful day.

And Hotch, she laughed mentally at his reaction, when the two women embraced, rocking slightly, murmuring thanks to each other, was so confused.

Poor man.

He would never truly get how much these two women meant to each other, even if they met one time, twenty two year ago.

**fin.**

_A/N: Didn't exactly turn out the way I imagined it, but hey, it's fine. Review, or not. I don't demand reviews, because that's stupid and ridiculous, but it's nice to know that people appreciate what you write… right? _

_AJ COOK'S COMING BACK! WOOOOOOOOOT! –jumps for joy- My English teacher heard me telling a friend._

_English teacher: Didn't she leave because she made that phone call to her son?"_

_Me: No… that's Amplification, season four episode twenty four…_

_English teacher: You're crazy._

_Meh._

_Toodles!_

_Silvereyes12_


End file.
